March 17, 2009

Here's an example of their latest tactic as a GOP minion confronts Blue Dog Rep. Chris Carney on the street. It's just about as stupid and pointless as you'd expect from the Republican brain trust:

The National Republican Congressional Committee is sending out video "trackers" to ask provocative questions of Democratic members of Congress. The trackers, who are congressional committee staffers, were earlier reported by Congress Daily, a specialty publication distributed largely on Capitol Hill.

NRCC spokesman Paul Lindsay told McClatchy that Democratic complaints were "whining," adding that "The modern-day world of campaign politics demands that we track our opponents' steps and missteps. We have nothing to hide when it comes to asking tough questions, but it appears that Democrats do when it comes to answering them."

The NRCC doesn't require its questioners to identify themselves as partisans on grounds that anyone has a right to approach a member of Congress and ask a question. It wouldn't say how many lawmakers have been questioned: A GOP statement said that, "Videos are posted on a case-by-case basis."

Republicans say they're simply trying to hold Democratic lawmakers accountable. Since the Internet became an important part of campaigns, it's not been unusual for candidates of any party to be tracked by their opponents.

"We've had trackers following us around before, but they were there to observe," said Andrew Stoddard, communications director for Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., who recently was ambushed by a GOP interviewer.

"What they're doing now," Stoddard said, "takes things to a whole new level."

Well, sure - and that whole new level is the basement. I mean, the Republicans are pretty much admitting that their only hope is to catch a Democrat saying something embarrassing, since they're devoid of principle and any ideas more complex than cutting taxes.

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